Time Warner Cable offers day and date movies

Time Warner Cable (TWC) is to offer its digital customers two new films the same day as their theatrical release, and a third before its theatrical release.

The first – Trespass – was made available October 14, while the second – Marginal Call – will become available the same day as its theatrical release, on October 21.

In addition, Melancholia is now available on Time Warner Cable’s Movies on Demand before its theatrical release on November 11.

These films are available in Standard and High Definition. Customers can watch them by visiting the ‘In Theaters’ category located on the Movies On Demand channel and clicking on the ‘Early Screening’ option. Users can buy the movie for $9.99, with Trespass costing $6.99. the charge for Marginal Call has not yet been revealed, but it would be “in the range” of the others, according to TWC.

TWC’s initiative follows Universal Pictures abandoning its plan to make its movie Tower Heist available to consumers via VoD just three weeks after it opens in cinemas.

“Universal Pictures today announced that in response to a request from theatre owners, it has decided to delay its planned premium home video on demand experiment,” the studio said in a statement. “Universal continues to believe that the theatre experience and a pay-VoD window are business models that can coincide and thrive and we look forward to working with our partners in exhibition to find a way to experiment in this area in the future.”

Universal planned to make Tower Heist available to about 500,000 cable subscribers of its corporate parent, Comcast, in two markets, Atlanta and Portland, for $59.99 via VoD.